World news | The Guardian

Despite improved short-term outlook, Jim Chalmers says structural pressures are intensifying rather than easing'

Studios behind Harry Potter films to undergo 400,000 sq ft expansion by 2027, in boost to struggling industryThe Warner Bros studios behind the Harry Potter film series are to undergo a major expansion, creating 4,000 jobs and providing a boost to Britain's beleaguered film and TV production industry.The development in Hertfordshire, expected to be complete in 2027, will add 400,000 sq ft (37,000 sq metres) to Warner Bros Studios Leavesden (WBSL). Continue reading...

Prime minister wants pupils to study a wider range of subjects including maths and English until they are 18The A-level system could be reformed with a new style of British baccalaureate in which children would study more subjects after the age of 16, according to reports.The proposals include English and maths becoming compulsory up until the age of 18, the Times said. Students would also be required to study a wider range of subjects in post-16 education. Continue reading...

My patience ran out,' said Christiana Figueres, who for years had advocated oil companies should be involved in policymaking talksFossil fuel companies should not be included in the Cop28 climate summit if they continue to block climate action, the UN's former climate chief told reporters on Thursday.If they are going to be there only to be obstructors, and only to put spanners into the system, they should not be there," said Christiana Figueres, who was pivotal to the delivery of the landmark Paris climate agreement in 2015. Continue reading...

Jimmy Barbecue' Cherizier issued call to arms as US looks to UN to approve Kenya-led mission to stem country's growing violenceThe most severe humanitarian crisis in the Americas has taken yet another dramatic turn after Haiti's most powerful gang boss took to the streets to call for an armed uprising to overthrow the country's unpopular prime minister.Jimmy Cherizier, a police officer turned gang lord nicknamed Barbecue", issued his call to arms on Tuesday, as reports suggested the US was preparing to ask the UN security council to approve a Kenya-led intervention designed to address the Caribbean country's escalating security crisis. Continue reading...

Officers seeking information on Jamie-Leigh Kelly, her toddler daughter and newborn son, after she left a family centre in ColindalePolice are appealing to the public to help locate a mother and her two young children who have been missing since Tuesday.Jamie-Leigh Kelly, 31, left a family assessment centre in north-west London with her three-year-old daughter and newborn baby boy against the wishes of staff. Continue reading...

Insiders say purpose of speech was to create dividing lines with Labour, with more policy announcements expected in weeks to comeDowning Street expected a backlash after Rishi Sunak announced that he was pushing back some of the government's key commitments for reaching net zero; in fact they wanted it.The purpose of the speech was to create dividing lines with Labour," said a No 10 insider. The fight is the point." What they didn't expect, was for the speech to be leaked 72 hours early and chaos to ensue. Continue reading...

Organized crime groups have around 175,000 members and authors say the best way to reduce violence is to cut membershipOrganised crime groups in Mexico have around 175,000 members - making them the fifth-biggest employer in the country, according to new research published in the journal Science.Using a decade of data on homicides, missing persons and incarcerations, as well as information about interactions between rival factions, the paper published on Thursday mathematically modeled overall cartel membership, and how levels of violence would respond to a range of policies. Continue reading...

Announcement of security threats' follows Justin Trudeau's claims India was involved in Sikh activist's killingRelations between India and Canada have further deteriorated after Delhi announced it was suspending visa services for Canadians due to security threats" faced by its embassy and consulates in Canada.BLS International, which runs the Indian visa offices in Canada, put a notice on its website stating that all visa services for Canadians were suspended until further notice, citing operational reasons". Continue reading...

Inquiry into scandal told company wanted to use Lee Castleton's case to dissuade others from pursuing claimsThe Post Office knew a post office operator would probably be bankrupted by a legal case he brought but wanted to send a warning message to others, a solicitor who worked for the company has admitted.Lee Castleton was made bankrupt by the Post Office after a two-year legal battle. His case is one of the most high-profile in the Horizon IT scandal, which has been described as the most widespread miscarriage of justice in UK history. Continue reading...

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Rupert Murdoch's passing the crown to Lachlan comes as Fox News faces a difficult balancing act in the run-up to the 2024 election

In [a] polarised world, it is important our sector is clear in its opposition to censorship' says the Cilip report, published as services increasingly asked to remove booksNew guidelines designed for libraries in the UK urge staff to provide materials that illuminate" different views on controversial topics.The 52-page document, released by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (Cilip), states that a good library" should encompass controversial issues" and that material should not be rejected solely on the basis that it is considered contentious. Continue reading...

Comments by Polish PM follow Volodymyr Zelenskiy's accusation that some in Europe are in effect aiding Russia

Decision not to increase rates from 5.25% will be relief for many but some mortgage holders are already paying moreThe Bank of England kept interest rates on hold on Thursday - to the relief of many homeowners and would-be buyers.So what does this mean for your finances, and what are experts advising borrowers and others to do? Continue reading...

Clinic will shut its doors on Friday leaving more than 10% of the state's methadone users without treatment

One unauthorised pamphlet contains a link to a website containing white supremacist material

Johns accused Indigenous leaders of a grab for power' and proposed a very heavy cultural intervention' for Aboriginal children

Exclusive: Force received $100m funding more than a year ago for equipment that automatically activates cameras when officers draw Tasers or guns

Poppy Vandermark was told she could not make political statements' in the former beauty pageant turned community service award

Using videos and animations, child-friendly guide offers information on what to expect after diagnosisA new guide for children with cancer has been created to provide parents and children aged two to 12 years old with vital information about what lies ahead after diagnosis.The Oncology Guide uses videos by children who have been treated for cancer to help families cope with what can be a frightening diagnosis. Every year in the UK, more than 1,800 children are diagnosed with cancer. Continue reading...

Climate Change Committee head says we've moved backwards' after PM defends decision to delay ban on selling new petrol and diesel carsRobinson quotes from Sunak's resignation letter as chancellor, in which he said if something sounded too good to be true, it probably wasn't true. Weren't you doing that in the speech yesterday?Sunak does not accept that. He says in his speech he accepted change was needed. He just want a realistic approach". Continue reading...

Three men and two women accused of conspiring to collect information intended to be directly or indirectly useful to an enemy'The UK's Crown Prosecution Service has authorised charges against five people suspected of spying for Russia.The three men and two women, aged between 29 and 45, are accused of conspiring to collect information intended to be directly or indirectly useful to an enemy", the CPS said. Continue reading...

Kristen Michal says clean air is human right' and breathing should not make us sick' after revelations about Europe's toxic airSpeaking in the French senate, Britain's King Charles III underscored the role of the private sector in developing solutions that allow for a transition to a more sustainable world.Together with the French president. Emmanuel Macron, the king will meet today with French and British business leaders to discuss investment in clean growth and preserving biodiversity. Continue reading...

Proposed law aims to improve representation in a parliament where women hold only a little over 13% of seatsIndia's lower house of parliament has passed a bill to reserve a third of seats for women, almost triple the current number, in a move that could transform Indian politics.More than 27 years after it was first proposed in parliament, the women's reservation bill was given almost unanimous support by MPs in the lower house, with only two voting against it. Its passage through the upper house is expected to be smooth thanks to broad political support. Continue reading...

Findings show 8% of population have extremist attitudes, while 16.5% accused Jewish people of wanting to take advantage' of Nazi past

Deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden says it would disproportionate to undertake further action' against former PMBoris Johnson is to avoid censure for breaking the rules on ex-ministers taking up new jobs despite the government accepting he committed a breach over his appointment as a Daily Mail columnist.Oliver Dowden, the deputy prime minister, told the post-government appointments watchdog on Thursday that it would be disproportionate to undertake further action" other than acknowledging that there had been a breach. Continue reading...

Former soldier was in HMP Wandsworth on remand charged with terrorism offencesFormer soldier Daniel Khalife has pleaded not guilty at the Old Bailey to escaping custody at HMP Wandsworth where he was on remand after being charged with terrorism offences earlier this year.More details soon ...

Russia strikes at least six cities across Ukraine in biggest attack since August; Poland will no longer arm Ukraine, says prime minister Continue reading...

New laws bring state into line with other jurisdictions and scrap clinical barriers that forced some women to seek treatment outside WA

Demand comes after after a visit to detention facilities was blocked by NSW and Queensland in October 2022. Follow the day's news live

Republicans propose stopgap funding bill that does not include funding for Ukraine as both parties signal they have questions for Ukraine delegationVolodymyr Zelenskiy is likely to find his latest visit to Washington a much tougher occasion than the hero's welcome he was given nine months ago.Zelenskiy was given a standing ovation when he delivered an address to a joint sitting of Congress in December, but on Thursday morning there will be minimal ceremony, and the Ukrainian president faces difficult conversations behind closed doors when he meets congressional leaders who are in the midst of a bitter spending battle that could lead to a government shutdown. Continue reading...

Notorious former football hooligan Denis Nikitin runs a controversial unit actively engaged alongside Ukraine forces

Sun is victorious and Daily Mail supportive, while FT writes move has led to civil war in Tory party

Retailer ups full-year expectations for third time in four months as it signals prices could fall in springNext has raised its full-year profit expectations for the third time in four months and signalled that prices could start to fall next spring for the first time in at least two years.The fashion and homewares retailer upped its annual profit guidance by 30m to 875m as it said better ranges, the sunny spring and pay rises for many of its customers had helped lift sales. Continue reading...

Former treasurer will become chairman of investment bank in Australia and New Zealand in move that prioritises precious time' with his family

The proportion of owners making a loss - after selling their home within two years of buying - rose to 9.7% in the June quarter

French and German politicians are in a standoff over a quota designed to boost European productionsBrussels must not shut the door" on British film and television, MEPs have said, as the European Commission mulls excluding the UK from a quota system designed to boost European productions on streaming platforms.In order to operate across Europe, streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+ currently have to ensure that at least 30% of the films they have in their online catalogues are European works". Continue reading...

Home Office-funded survey exposes failures over serious sexual crimes by officers in England and WalesThe full extent of the trauma rape survivors experience as a direct result of their interaction with police has been shown for the first time in a damning official survey.Three-quarters of respondents to the largest ever survey of rape and sexual assault survivors in England and Wales said their mental health was damaged as a direct result of what police did, or failed to do, in their case", according to researchers. Continue reading...

From views on gay sex to women's role in the home, British social attitudes survey reveals a near revolution'From attitudes to gay sex and single parenting to views on abortion and the role of women in the home, Britain has evolved into a dramatically more liberal-minded country over the past four decades, a leading study has found.The transformation in public opinion on many social and moral issues - described by one of the study's researchers as a near revolution" - is captured in the latest British social attitudes (BSA) survey, which is marking its 40th year of mapping Britain's cultural and political landscape. Continue reading...

Exclusive: analysis of results in 31 countries last year found 32% of votes were cast for parties that are populist, far-left or far-rightAlmost one-third of Europeans now vote for populist, far-right or far-left parties, research shows, with wide support for anti-establishment politics surging across the continent in an increasingly problematic challenge to the mainstream.Analysis by more than 100 political scientists across 31 countries found that in national elections last year a record 32% of European voters cast their ballots for anti-establishment parties, compared with 20% in the early 2000s and 12% in the early 1990s. Continue reading...

Secret camera footage last year showed Ann King being taunted, shouted at and roughly handled at Reigate Grange in SurreyA criminal investigation has been launched into a luxury care home in Surrey where Ann King, an 88-year-old resident, was abused by staff in a case that shocked the country.The Care Quality Commission, which regulates social care in England, announced the investigation into Reigate Grange 11 months after the Guardian broadcast distressing secret camera footage of staff taunting, shouting at and roughly handling the former nurse who was living with dementia. King died in October 2022 after her children took her back home in March 2022 in disgust at her treatment. Continue reading...

Anti-establishment parties look likely to play a significant role in elections in Slovakia, Poland and the NetherlandsThe shape of three European governments could be decided by the performances of populist, far-right, or anti-establishment parties in elections this autumn, as the continent's fractured political landscape continues to splinter.September's parliamentary poll in Slovakia, a country of just five million people, could prove critical to Europe's continuing support for Ukraine against Russia's aggression, returning to power a proto-populist, Robert Fico, who is stridently pro-Moscow. Continue reading...

NSW treasurer wants to stop long-term rentals being pulled from the market and short-term rentals taking their place' during housing crisis

The PM has torn up his ambitious plans for Britain to achieve its commitments on net zero emissions, saying they were unrealistic and punitive'. Kiran Stacey reportsRishi Sunak has announced a major policy shift, rowing back on some of the government's net zero policies that impose a direct cost on consumers, as the Conservatives attempt to create a dividing line with Labour before the next election.As our political correspondent Kiran Stacey tells Nosheen Iqbal on a chaotic day in Westminster, the plans amount to delaying a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and watering down the phasing out of gas boilers. Sunak also dropped proposals for new energy-efficiency targets for private rented homes. Continue reading...

Decision over judicial review of Sofronoff inquiry made after concerns of a potential conflict within ACT legal fraternity

New York-based Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse signals he rejects Thailand's harsh lese majeste laws, which ban criticism of the royal familyAn estranged son of Thailand's king who has spent almost all his adult life away from his homeland has unexpectedly gone public with his belief that open discussions about the country's monarchy should be allowed, in a rejection of a harsh royal anti-defamation law.Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse, one of the king's five sons, posted his opinion on Facebook after attending a photo exhibition in New York about people who have been charged under the law, Article 112 of Thailand's Criminal Code. Continue reading...

Inquiry headed by independent panel of experts will cover commonwealth pandemic response but exclude unilateral actions of states or territories

The 14-year-old boy was put in handcuffs and marched out of his classroom on MondayThe French government has defended the arrest of a teenage boy in the middle of class over claims of bullying a transgender classmate, a rare move that angered many pupils and parents despite widespread support for a crackdown on harassment.The 14-year-old boy was put in handcuffs and marched out of his classroom in the Paris suburb of Alfortville on Monday. Continue reading...

Building society's regular saver for current account holders is one of a growing number paying 6% interest or moreCompetition among financial firms for a slice of the nation's savings is intensifying, with Nationwide launching an account paying a market-leading" 8% interest.A string of Bank of England interest rate rises have pushed up savings rates across the board, and many experts expect another one on Thursday. Continue reading...